Surviving Christmas Depression
5 Ways to Cope with the Holiday Blues
Dec 14, 2007 Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen
Trying to keep up with the holiday rush of parties and gift buying can lead to Christmas depression. These suggestions for coping with the holiday blues may ease feelings of sadness and anxiety over Christmas.
1. Don’t Swallow the Hype
Christmas isn’t about gorgeous decorations, insanely happy families and expensive gifts. To survive Christmas depression, don’t fall into the trap of trying to be perfect or feel ecstatically happy. The stores, commercials, malls, Martha Stewart shows and radio advertisements turn Christmas into a merchandising cash cow – they also make Christmas about being flawless and full of glitter. Don’t fall into that pit of despair, which will send you headlong into an even deeper Christmas depression.
2. Stay Active
Getting enough exercise, oxygen, and fresh air may help lift the holiday blues. If you don’t have the energy or time to go skating, tobogganing or snowshoeing, simply go for a walk in river valley or around the block. Take your kids, nieces, or nephews to the park. Surviving Christmas depression is easier when you're active and breathing deeply.
3. Start New Traditions
If you’ve lost someone you love and this is the first Christmas without them, let yourself grieve naturally. Christmas depression or holiday blues is a normal way to feel – as long as it doesn’t last for months afterward. Starting new traditions is a good way to lift your spirits and focus your energy outside yourself.
4. Be Aware of Your Family’s Dynamics
Ironically, your family and friends may be the source of your holiday blues (though according to movies and television, they should really be easing your Christmas depression). You may not be able to change your family’s dynamics, but at least be aware of how your family and friends affect you. Are you particularly sad after shopping with your mother? Do you dread the family Christmas dinner? To survive Christmas depression, find ways to shorten or eliminate the experiences that make you feel bad.
5. Get Help
If you’re really struggling emotionally, and you know it’s more than a mild case of the holiday blues, then get help. Similarly, if a family member or friend seems to be struggling with a serious case of Christmas depression, don’t hesitate to reach out to them. Consider calling for outside help. Many volunteers work over Christmas at suicide hotlines or help centers; your phone book will have a list of numbers that will help.
If you found Surviving Christmas Depression: 5 Ways to Cope With the Holiday Blues helpful, try:
Surviving Christmas Depression
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